The 2011 Sunday Times Rich List, released this weekend, reveals that the 1,000 wealthiest people in the country are now worth a combined £395.8 billion, equivalent to more than a third of the national debt.

The number of billionaires has risen from 53 to 73, while nine people have seen their fortunes rise by £1 billion or more during the past 12 months alone.

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1.Hilary Weston and family

Net worth: £600m

Source:Retailing

If conversation ever stutters to a halt in the Weston household they can always turn to shoes. In 2005, Galen Weston Jr married Alexandra Schmidt of the Bata shoe empire and last year daughter Alannah opened “the biggest single shoe destination in the world” in Selfridges at a cost of more than £15m. Not to mention the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton, when Hilary, 69, and 70-year-old husband Galen Sr were a “shoe-in” as guests. The Weston dynasty was founded in 1882 but the new generation is coming along nicely. Galen Jr, 38, is credited with rejuvenating Canada’s largest grocery chain, Loblaw Cos, since becoming executive chairman in 2006.For the third consecutive year Hilary and her husband top the Irish Rich List courtesy of a fortune that includes 62.5% of George Weston — worth £3.5 billion. It paid a £600m special dividend before tax in January. Hilary modelled in her teens to support her family, who lived in south Dublin. The couple are keen art collectors. Together the British and Canadian branches of the family appear to be worth nearly £7 billion but with hefty duplication and cross-shareholdings between the two, we deduct £1 billion.

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2.Denis O’Brien

Net worth: £2,517m

Source: Mobile phones, Investment

With its associated mobile phone companies, Bermuda-based Digicel Group has 11.5m subscribers and operates in 32 countries in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific rim. Founded by O’Brien, 53, in 2001, it is worth £1.6 billion after debt. In March, it sold its operations in El Salvador and Honduras to Carlos Slim, the world’s richest man. O’Brien has taken £669m in cash out of the company since 2007. Some of this was used to build up his stakes in Independent News & Media (INM) and Aer Lingus. He has almost doubled his stake in INM over the past 12 months, taking it to 21.6%. O’Brien’s initial wealth came from selling his stake in the Irish Esat Telecom to BT in 2000.

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3.John Dorrance

Net worth: £1,416m

Source: Investment

A forebear founded Campbell Soup Company in 1869 and Dorrance, 67, inherited a chunk of it. By 1996 he had sold all but 2.3%, making £1 billion. His value is up thanks to the revival of investment markets. Dorrance, who moved to Ireland for tax reasons, also has a home in the Bahamas.

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4.Dermot Desmond

Net worth: £1,300m

Source: Finance

Desmond, 60, has been investing the £848m cash pile he built up while correctly forecasting the last two downturns. He has been buying debt, including that of Intel, US Bancorp and property firms. Desmond chairs Celtic FC and has a 36% stake, which fell to £11m last year. His Dublin casino racked up a £3.9m loss. Stakes in a raft of Dublin technology firms are worth more than £150m. We deduct £12m lost on U4EA Technologies. Cork-born Desmond is tax-resident in Gibraltar. Assets including homes in Dublin and London, racehorses, a jet and art are down to £29m.

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5.The Earl of Iveagh and Guinness family

Net worth: £850m

Source: Property,Brewing

The 41-year-old and his family have a £300m stake in Diageo, which owns the brewery and stout brand. Dublin-born Iveagh moved to England in 1991, inheriting the title and about £62m of Guinness shares a year later. The family’s British Pacific Properties owns about £400m of real estate in Canada and we add £100m for its past sales. There are other assets.

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6.Pearse Lyons

Net worth: £711m

Source: Animal feed, Biotechnology

Not many bioscience millionaires have a whiskey named after them but Dublin-born Pearse Lyons is an exception. The Pearse Lyons Reserve has a sweet nose, with notes of molasses and brown sugar, and a touch of nutmeg and vanilla. It is the first malt whiskey to be distilled in Kentucky since 1919. With the creation of his own brewing and distilling company in 1999, Lyons returned to his roots, having completed a masters degree in brewing and a PhD in yeast fermentation, and having vowed as a young man to have his own whiskey.

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7.Lord Ballyedmond

Net worth: £650m

Source: Pharmaceuticals

Newry business Norbrook, the global veterinary drugs group, saw profits soar to £11.2m in 2009-2010. Adding the highest-paid director’s salary of £2.5m takes the profit to nearly £14m. The £450m business is owned and run by Ballyedmond, 67. Property and land add £200m.

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8.Martin Naughton

Net worth: £622m

Source: Industry

Naughton, 72, chairs and owns the Dublin firm Glen Dimplex, an electrical heating group. Sons Neil, 41, and Fergal, 35, sit on the board. Held offshore, it is hard to value but subsidiary Glen Electric, accounting for 70% of its £1.2 billion sales, saw profit rise to £37m in 2009-10 and had £263m net assets. We therefore double the value of Glen Dimplex to £598m. Other assets include Naughton’s Co Meath estate, art and office blocks. Naughton donates half his earnings to good causes.

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9.Paddy McNally

Net worth: £620m

Source: Hospitality, Advertising

McNally, 73, sold his Formula One hospitality group for $350m in 2006. He earned about £10m a year from the parent, Allsport Management. He is still involved but plans to retire this year. Irish-born McNally has property in Britain and Switzerland. Bilan, the Swiss magazine, put his wealth at £620m in its 2010 rich list.

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10.John Magnier

Net worth: £521m

Source: Investment, Bloodstock

Magnier, 63, holds most of his assets in offshore tax havens. The value of his Coolmore studs is down to £72m but other investments have fared better, with his 20% of Barchester Healthcare paying a £24m dividend in 2009. He owns one-third of the Sandy Lane hotel in Barbados. His share in these two is worth £311m, after borrowings. Family trusts of Magnier and JP McManus (qv) have a £228m stake in pub owner Mitchells Butlers. Homes in Barbados, Spain and Co Cork are worth £24m.

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Source: The Sunday Times 2011 Rich List